Bass Talk Magazine

iriegnome · #1 01-15-2013, 10:35 PM

Firstly, I don't know if this is the correct place for a rant about Bass Talk mag, but Mod's do your thing if you must..
I have been getting Bass Talk for years now. Far to many to remember when I first started getting it. The last 3 years, I keep telling my wife to not renew it, but we both forget and renew it anyway.
Ok.. Victor Wooten is on the cover again. How many articles can they do on him? No offense, he is really very good, but there must be someone else out there?? No? The mag got all weird shaped and it just seems like it is no longer about players, but full page ad's of Geezer Butler and such.. Come on.. Does anyone out there agree?? Disagree?? I mean, this is my own opinion and it's not like I want the mag to go out of business, but I just can't take it anymore..
It just plain stinks these days

two fingers · #2 01-15-2013, 10:42 PM

Usually, with any bass mag, you have to dig a little to get to the red meat. There are plenty of good articles and interviews in most of them. But, like anything else, if it doesn't SELL, they go out of business. So they have to lead with the flashy stuff. And they have to sell full-page ads and half-page ads to stay in business. They have little control over who the company chooses to put in the ad.

Here's the thing. If I had to guess I would say that 75% of those mags (ALL bass and guitar mags) are bought by teenagers and other youngsters (many off the newsstand or in the grocery store). So those mags will put their heroes up there time and time again. Jimmy Haslip will rarely make the cover of a bass mag because the very topic of his playing or music isn't "sexy" enough for cover material. It doesn't make the kids whip out their wallets.

But, again, most of them that I have read seem to get around to some good stuff eventually in each issue. You just have to dig through the crap to get to it. If you were to ask the kids, they would say that all the "crap" is in the back, so they only read the interview with Flea or Vic.

rapidfirerob · #3 01-15-2013, 11:50 PM

I've had a subscription to Bass Player for years and enjoy it. Every magazine has full page ads to stay in business. I have no complaints about Victor on the cover of any magazine. BP interviewed him for the latest issue regarding his two CDs he put out simultaneously. No complaints.

guitardefector · #4 01-16-2013, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by two fingers

Usually, with any bass mag, you have to dig a little to get to the red meat. There are plenty of good articles and interviews in most of them. But, like anything else, if it doesn't SELL, they go out of business. So they have to lead with the flashy stuff. And they have to sell full-page ads and half-page ads to stay in business. They have little control over who the company chooses to put in the ad.

Here's the thing. If I had to guess I would say that 75% of those mags (ALL bass and guitar mags) are bought by teenagers and other youngsters (many off the newsstand or in the grocery store). So those mags will put their heroes up there time and time again. Jimmy Haslip will rarely make the cover of a bass mag because the very topic of his playing or music isn't "sexy" enough for cover material. It doesn't make the kids whip out their wallets.

But, again, most of them that I have read seem to get around to some good stuff eventually in each issue. You just have to dig through the crap to get to it. If you were to ask the kids, they would say that all the "crap" is in the back, so they only read the interview with Flea or Vic.

Couldn't have said it better myself, 2fingers. Same could be said of Guitar World mag and Slash. After a while you begin to suspect that he IS the magazine since he appears there a gazillion times. The reason I still buy GW is the 4 complete songs...with bass lines!!!!